Apparatus for testing water mains



J. A. COLE.

Filed May 5,

I APPARATUS `FOR TESTING WATER MAINS Patented Feb. 23, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT rifles.

JOHN A. COLE, or cercado, ILLINOIS.

APPARATUS FOR TESTING WATER MAINS.

Application filed May 3,

useful Improvements in Apparatus for` Testing Water Mains; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled. in the art to whicl it appertains to make and use the saine.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in apparatus for making yelocity tests in city water mains, and consists of an improved means for employing the broad idea of the measuring instrument disclosed in my prior Letters Patent No. 1,485,- 831, of March 4, 1924.

In the use of the aforesaid patent and other devices of the kind, itis necessary to have the manhole uncovered Jfor a 3rolonged period of time while a test is being made.

At the present time, withthe rapidly increasing use of automobiles in the cities and the congested condition of traliic, it is very dangerous, not only to the travel, but to the persons making a water test, to have to re main in the street with the manhole uncovered.

To this end, I have provided an apparatus, which will enable the tests to be made from a sidewalk, vault or manhole, the street manhole being opened only for a short period while the device is being attached to the water main.

Another object of my invention is to provide means for preventing the freezing of the water in the tubes of the device, 1n cold weather.

on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the water main and the valve for inserting the Pitot tubes.

1924. serial No. 71(4),843. i

Fig. 4 is a detail view Ot the mechanism for taking up' the slack in the rubber tub-A ing after the device is connected up, and

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the pressure tubes and casing.

1 designates the wall of an ordinaryr street manhole, through the lower portion of which extends a water main 2. At BI have shown a supplement-al manhole situated under the sidewalk and of about one-half the size of the street manhole.

These two manholes are connected by means of an inclined conduit or pipe 4, which serves as an outer casing for the pressure conveying tubes 5, said tubes being preferably composed of brass and enclosed in a casing 6 longitudinally slidable in the outer casing 4 and preferably of wood or metal made in two parts and secured together by screws 7, as shown in cross section in Fig. 2.

rIhe brass tubes 5 extend slightly beyond the ends of the casing 6, and are adapted to' receive pliable rubber connecting tubes 8 and 9 which are secured thereto by means of wires or clamps 5a in the manner shown in Fig. 5.

The free ends of the rubber tubes 8, are placed over the tubes 10 of the meter 11 of the usualform of Pitot tube rodA meter, which is connected to the water main 2, in such a manner that when the device is in operation the Ls 10EL ot the Pitot tubes 10 will project in oppositef directions alo'lg the center of the waterniain.

The operation of attaching the rubber tubes 8 to the meter in the street manhole requires much care, and calls for a length of rubber tubing considerably longer than can be kept in use after the meter has been lowered to the center of the water main. This excess of rubber tubing, unless disposed of, will block the action of the meter by creating pockets where air will accumulate. The vertical space between the top of the meter 11, and the inclined tubes 5 is quite restricted and the rubber connections must be direct.

To this end I provide thev means, shown in Fig. 4, for taking up the slack rubber tubing, which consists of an inwardly jecting support 12, secured to the wall of the manhole by spikes or any other suitable means. Pivoted to this support is a bell crank lever 13 including two arms 14 and 15, the latter being pivotally secured to a connecting rod 16, which in turn is pivoted proiov

at 17 to the tube casing 6. The arm 14k ot the lever 13 is adapted to serve as a handle by means of Which the casing and tubes 5 may be drawn outwardly from the lconduit or outer casing l, or pushed inwardly therein. By so operating the handle 14, the rubber tubes are rendered taut or loose as desired.

After the tubes 8 are in the desired position, the rubber tubes 9 at the other end ot the casing 6', are connected to the indicating instrument 19 and the apparatus is ready for a test.

The brass tubes 5 and the casing 6 may be made in sections andy joined-together, and in order to enable'the inspection of these joints, I provide narrow chambers 16 in the Wallsof the manholes land' on a line With the casing 6, into which said casing may be extended.

In sections of the country which suffer from' severe Winters, it .may be advantageous to provide heat to preventk 'the apparatus from freezing.

To this end I employ electric coils 18 in the casing 4l which will heat that portion' of the device through which a fine stream of Water must pass. If desired, other heating means may be employed in the manholes, but in most cases this is not believed tok be necessary.

The operation of my device is obvious. The person making the test enters the street manhole 1 only long enough to attach the rubber tubes 8 to the meter 11, open the valve on the meter and lower the Pitot tubes to the center of the main; then by means of the handle 1a he forces the casing 6 longitudinally into the conduit d, thus taking up any slack in the rubber tubes.

I-Ie then connects the rubber tubes 9 to the indicating instrument 19 in the side Walk manhole 3, and covers the street manhole and finishes his test from the side Walk manhole.

From the foregoing, it is believed that my invention may be clearly understood Without further description, and in closing it may be stated that numerous changes may be made in the details'of construction Without departing from the spirit of the invention as disclosed in the following claims.

Vhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. Means for testing a Water main extending under a street, including a street manhole, a side Walk manhole, a meter arranged in the street manhole, extending into the Water main and actuated by the Water flowing through the main, an indicating instrument arranged in the side Wall; manhole, and means operatively connecting the meter to the indicating instrument, Whereby the velocity of the Water flowing through the main will befindicated by the instrument in the side Walk manhole.

Means for testinga Water main extend-- ing under a street, including a street manhole, a side Walk manhole, a conduit connecting said manholes, tubes extending 'through said conduit, a meter in said streetl manhole and an indicating device in said side Walk manhole, and means for connecting said tubes to said meter and said indicating device. f

3. Means for testing a Water main extending under a street, including a street manhole, a side Walk manhole, an inclined conduit connecting said manholes, tubes exrod pivoted to sai-d lever at one end and to said tube casing at the other end.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

JOHN A; COLE. 

